Rush in vax centres as people rush to get jab before May 1

Rush in vax centres as people rush to get jab before May 1

Padmini.Sivarajah@timesgroup.com

Madurai:25.04.2021 

As many as 52.51lakh people have been vaccinated in the state till date. Though the state is receiving fresh supplies of vaccines, a supply-demand gap was reported at many places.

As per the data released on Saturday, as many as 45,09,694 people have been administered Covishield and 7,42,126 people Covaxin, through the government centres, camps and private clinics.

In Madurai, long queues of people waiting for vaccine were witnessed at many urban public health centres. K Sundaram, who came to a centre with his wife, said they were waiting for their first dose. “I did not want to wait longer, in case a total lockdown was announced,” he said.

A staff of the Government Rajaji Hospital vaccination centre at the Elango Corporation School said the crowds have become uncontrollable for the past few days, after the news that vaccines would be available for ₹600 per dose from May 1 at the private hospitals.

“None in our family have taken the vaccine. My three children are above 18 years of age, and then there is my wife, mother and sister. Paying for the vaccine doses would be a huge amount for me and I cannot afford it,” said K Pandi of Sellur, who said he was going to the UPHC on Saturday.

As many as 2,01,946 people have been vaccinated in Madurai district till date, including 5,867 on Saturday. Vaccine availability in the district as on date was 6,830. Just more than 33,000 people received their second dose of vaccination in the district as on Friday. Maditssia, the association for SME industries, conducted a special camp in association with the Madurai Corporation on Saturday. People, who had come for their second dose after completing one month since the first dose were asked to come after 42 days, said former president of the association, V S Manimaran. Those who had completed 40 days since the first dose were given preference over first doses.

In Coimbatore, as many as 3,42,247 have been vaccinated till date, while in Trichy the number is 1,89,586. As many as 3,082 people were vaccinated on Saturday.

(With inputs from Gokul Rajendran & Pratiksha Ramkumar)

My three children are above 18 years of age, and then there is my wife, mother and sister. Paying for the vaccine doses would be a huge amount for me

K PANDI Sellur